Last week I attended TUC (trade union congress) 2015 in Brighton — it was brilliant! Having never been before, I was interested to see what it would be like. It was quite similar to Labour Party conference, in that there were lots of press and cameras everywhere, and loads to do. There was a main conference hall where all the delegates congregate to speak on and debate motions on a variety of issues. If you have never been before, you should definitely go. Here’s what I got up to and why you should go along: Inspiring speakers Frances O’Grady’s (general secretary of the TUC) speech was fantastic. She is someone who I have a great admiration for, being the first woman to be the general secretary of the TUC. The TUC used to be such a male dominated place, and for her to break through those barriers sends such a positive message to women in every industry and trade union. She set out an articulate vision of the Tory approach to Britain and showed the strength we need in holding the Tories to account. She’s right — the Tories do underestimate the resilience of working people and their unions. There was a lot of talk of the Tories Trade Union bill, which passed its second reading during the congress. It’s a bill that attacks the fundamental rights of all workers across the country and the TUC vowed to fight it. It is time to show them every ounce of that resilience as we lead our fight against this attack on workers’ rights. Jeremy Corbyn also came and gave his first major speech since becoming Labour leader! The hall was packed out and he spoke passionately about fighting the Trade Union Bill, campainging for workers rights and he also explained why he was being the first leader to make mental health a priority. Shami Chakrabarti (Director of Liberty) then got up and spoke she said “workers rights and human rights are inseparable” which is important for us to remember. A bill that attacks the rights of workers to protest if they feel they are being treated unfairly is a breach of our fundamental human rights and something we all must be on board to fight. Important issues discussed Mental Health was another key topic at the TUC with people praising our new Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn for creating a shadow ministerial post for mental health specifically. It’s such a crucial issue with a quarter of our population suffering from mental health issues. An NUT member got a standing ovation after telling the conference about the stigma he faced at work after admitting to having depression and almost taking his own life due to the pressure. The support and solidarity in that room were in stark contrast to the Tory government who, for the first time, have cut mental heath funding in real terms. This is an utter disgrace and is in direct contrast to the excellent approach Corbyn has taken in making this a priority. Zero hour contracts and how they impact young people was also a key motion that passed. Unite the Union was rightly praised for its work on getting Pizza Express to get rid of the 8% charge on staff tips. If people want to know the real difference union campaigns can make to the lives of young people, this is a great example. Youth friendly CWU Youth’s Dan Lewis won the 2015 TUC Youth Award which was very well deserved. Last October I attended the CWU’s Youth Education event in Edinburgh and it was a brilliant and inclusive event for everyone there. The variety of workshops and training sessions allowed members to learn about conferences, and we even held a mock conference where people submitted motions and really built their confidence. I’m proud to be involved in some wonderful youth organisations and I can confidently say that the friendly and welcoming environment in the CWU is exactly what a youth movement should be like. People like Dan work hard to make it the best it can be. CWU’s Youth Education event 2014 Young members including myself need space to develop their views in unions and in the Labour Party, this is certainly a friendly place for learning and meeting great people. The CWU is incredibly good at helping their members develop in this way with the help of some key people (special shout out to Simon Sapper, Jo Thair and Ben Abrams) for helping to organise such events! I really enjoyed meeting other young trade unionists from across the country. It’s a great opportunity to discuss how the youth side works across different unions and to exchange tips and good practice. I made some great friends, learnt about some crucial issues and left feeling prouder than ever of our movement. TUC congress was a great experience and I would definitely encourage other young trade union members to go along to the next one if you can! Jasmin Beckett If you’ve got any questions, please feel free to get in touch: @Jasmin_Beckett [email protected]
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AuthorJasmin Beckett Archives
June 2017
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